The Single Survivor Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: The team happens upon the scene of an attack where they find one survivor. One thing leads to another as they try to save him.
1. Chapter 1

**The Single Survivor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"What do you think Moffitt?"

Jack Moffitt studied the scene on the desert floor below them with a critical eye. "It appears that that German column got themselves ambushed. No one buried the dead so we can assume that the Germans lost. All of the bodies appear to be German."

"Arabs?"

"Perhaps. Allied soldiers usually allow the survivors to bury the dead or they do it themselves."

Troy raised his glasses again to scan the desert around them.

"There are tire tracks from at least one vehicle leaving the scene." Moffitt noted.

"So maybe some of them got away?"

Moffitt shrugged. "Either that or the victors needed the truck for some reason. It's possible that it may have been loaded with something of value."

Troy squinted at the sun. "We still have some daylight left, let's take a look."

"Hitch, take us over to that convoy, but be careful. Moffitt thinks there may be Arabs involved." Troy slid into his seat and lifted one of the machine guns from the holster on the fender. If they were attacked while in the jeep he could use the 50 but he wanted to be armed on the ground too. He didn't want to be caught in a position where he couldn't reach the jeep and found himself unarmed.

Hitchcock looked over at the British sergeant but Moffitt was busy explaining the plan to Tully. The other driver nodded even as his jeep lurched forward. Hitch saw Moffitt grab for support as he continued to talk uninterrupted.

Troy reached for support too as Hitch followed Tully's jeep. Both vehicles cleared the dunes and bounced across the uneven desert floor. Hitch kept alert knowing that the Arab bandits could hide in the most unexpected places.

The jeep pulled up next to the first of the bodies and Troy jumped to the ground. He leaned down and checked for a pulse while Hitch kept watch. He looked toward Moffitt and shook his head.

Moffitt nodded and instructed Tully to move on to the next body. One after another the bodies were checked but there were no survivors. The two sergeants stood over the final body and looked around the battle scene.

"It looks like they were taken by surprise." Troy noted.

"Most likely." Moffitt agreed. "Did you notice anything about the bodies Troy?" "You mean how some of them had bullet holes in their heads?"

"Shot point blank." Moffitt agreed. "They had other wounds but the head wounds had powder burns around them."

"They executed the wounded."

Moffitt nodded sadly. "They may have survived their wounds but they weren't given a chance."

"Are you still thinking they were Arabs?" Troy checked to make sure that both drivers were staying alert.

"Everything of value is gone. Someone stripped the bodies of weapons and even personal items. I found tan lines from rings and watches but all of the jewelry was gone. Some of them were even stripped of their boots."

Troy sighed. "I guess the least we can do is give them a proper burial. I wonder if they managed to get a message out to call for help."

"We didn't pick up any messages on the radio. It is possible that they were using a different frequency. Do you want to stick around and see if a relief column shows up?"

"No. We'll bury them and then head home. Dietrich's base is the closest and its two days from here. If they called for help it could be that long before they get here." Troy looked down at the bloated corpse at his feet. "How long do you think they've been here?"

"Two, three hours at least."

Troy nodded. "You and Tully take a swing around and make sure we're alone. I'll put Hitch on starting the graves. I'll help him after I collect dog tags and see if I can find something to wrap them in."

Moffitt nodded and slid into his jeep, giving Tully his new orders. The jeep swung out around the battlefield giving the dead plenty of room.

"Hitch, grab a shovel and start digging some graves. I'll help as soon as I find something to wrap the bodies."

"Right Sarge." The blond reached behind his seat for a shovel. "Where do you want to bury them?"

Troy glanced up from the body at his feet. He wrapped the chain from the dog tags around his fingers before he pointed toward a depression in the sand. "Start there. We can bury them in a shallow grave and then start a slide to make it deeper.

Hitch grunted in appreciated. The less digging he had to do in the heat the better. Stabbing the point of the shovel into the sand, he began to dig.

Troy went from body to body collecting identification. He could hear the sound of the shovel as Hitch tossed the sand aside. Walking over to the disabled vehicles he searched them for blankets or tarps. He found several small tarps and one large one in one of the trucks. They had holes in them but they would do the job. Throwing them into a pile he turned to check on the progress his driver had made.

"Hitch, look out!"

Troy's yell sent Hitchcock rolling into the recently dug grave. There was no other shelter for him to use. Gripping his shovel tightly, Hitch wished he had a rifle instead of the shovel.

Troy had spotted movement on the small dune above where Hitch was digging the grave. Yelling a warning he fired at the spot where he had seen the movement. When there was no return fire Troy took a second to check on his driver. Hitch was lying flat in the hole he had dug hugging the shovel and keeping his head down. Since he wasn't armed the blond was staying out of the way. Troy looked back at the hill but there was no movement there now. Both men waited to see what would happen next.

"Hitch, can you find better cover?"

"Not without exposing myself." The blond called back. "How many did you see?"

"Only one." Troy answered. "Stay put, I'm going to try to flush him out."

"Be careful Sarge."

Troy grinned at his driver. Making the first move might be risky but he wasn't about to let the enemy make a move on Hitch. His driver was exposed and unarmed, not a good combination. Bracing his hand on the ground Troy prepared to rush the enemy's position.

The roar of an engine, a quiet roar since it was Tully's jeep, split the tense silence. Tully wheeled around behind Troy to cover their retreat if they needed it.

Troy twisted around to see Moffitt manning the 50 and waiting for instructions. Waving his arm in a circle Troy sent Moffitt and Tully around behind the enemy position while he kept watch over Hitch. He settled onto the sand to stop any of the enemy who tried to get past him to get away from the other jeep. The rattle of Moffitt's 50 warned him that things could be heating up pretty fast.

"Stay down Hitch!"

"I planned on it Sarge."

Troy grinned and concentrated on the hill where he had spotted the movement.

"Troy! We have him!"

Troy relaxed and climbed to his feet as Moffitt called to him.

"Is he alone?"

"It would appear so." Moffitt answered. "He may be from the column, he's been wounded."

Troy lowered his weapon as he watched Hitch climb to his feet. Curious, he headed for the hill where Tully stood watch as Moffitt checked their new prisoner. Moffitt urged the young soldier to sit as he looked at his wound. "Tully, bring me the medical kit."

Tully nodded and put his machine gun in its holster. Reaching under the seat he ambled over to Moffitt with the medical kit. Troy followed with his weapon ready.

"He's not armed Troy." Moffitt announced as he glanced up.

Troy nodded. "How bad is he wounded?"

"A bullet in his arm and another grazed his head. He's dehydrated but the bleeding has stopped." Tully handed Moffitt a canteen and stepped back. "Thanks Tully." Tully nodded and chewed on his matchstick as he watched Moffitt work.

"Can he answer questions?"

Moffitt looked at the shaking German and shrugged. "He can, but that doesn't mean that he will. He's in shock and suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion. I wouldn't want to push him too hard."

"I wonder why he wasn't killed like the other wounded." Troy eyed the prisoner as Moffitt cleaned and dressed his wounds. "Hitch, finish those graves. Tully, help him. Moffitt find out what he can tell you." All three of the men nodded.

"What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm going to code a message to headquarters while I keep watch. Those shots may draw unwanted attention."

At Troy's comment the young German tensed. Both sergeants noted the reaction. They exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing. Moffitt tied off the last bandage and faced the prisoner.

"Do you speak English?"

The young German stared at him without speaking.

"We can do this in English or in German, I speak your language." Moffitt warned. "English would be quicker since I wouldn't have to translate everything for Sergeant Troy." He tried to look kindly so that he wouldn't frighten the prisoner.

"Can you tell us what happened here?" Troy demanded when the prisoner didn't answer. "Were there any other survivors?"

The soldier looked over to where Hitch and Tully were digging the graves. "You are going to bury our dead?"

Troy glanced toward the privates and nodded. "We don't want to leave them for the scavengers. Burying them is the only decent thing to do."

"The Arabs did not bother." The young soldier replied bitterly.

"You were attacked by Arabs?"

The youth hesitated as if trying to decide if he should answer, then he nodded. "Yes, they were Arabs."

"Were there any other survivors?"

"Yes." The soldier answered with a blush.

"Why didn't they kill you like they did the other wounded?" Moffitt asked.

The soldier blushed again. "Because I played dead." The boy answered with lowered eyes. "They found me and went limp while they searched me and took my weapon. I guess the blood on my head convinced them that I was dead. I think they were in a hurry and didn't check real well. I heard the shots but I didn't realize what was happening at first." A tear rolled down the young man's face. "I should have helped them, I should have fought for them."

"No." Moffitt argued. "You were unarmed. If you had exposed yourself they would still be dead. The only difference is that you would be dead too. Your death would not have helped anyone."

"But I did nothing!"

"You survived." Troy told him. "Now it's up to you to decide where you go from here. You can turn your back on them or you can help save others. It won't bring your friends back but maybe you could prevent more deaths."

"How? How do I that?" The prisoner asked.

Troy shrugged. "Only you can answer that. They were your friends. But I can tell you his; a true friend would not want you to throw your life away for nothing."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Single Survivor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"Our column was a scout column only." The prisoner explained. "We were not looking for anyone or anything in particular."

Troy and Moffitt nodded at the news, it fit what they already suspected. The prisoner had explained that he had learned English from a schoolmate. Upon learning that Moffitt spoke German he had resigned himself to being questioned. To his surprise his captors had not ask questions that he was forbidden to answer. Instead they had seemed more interested in what had happened when the column was attacked by the Arabs. He told himself that they would probably move on to other topics before they delivered him to a POW camp but he decided to worry about that when it happened.

"Have you had other problems with the Arabs in this area before?"

"No, at least not that I have heard. Our captain gets along well with most of the locals. He speaks several Arab dialects and respects their traditions."

"Your captain? You're from Dietrich's base aren't you?"

The prisoner hesitated. This was one of the questions he had expected.

"Dietrich's base is the closest German base. It just makes sense that this column is one of his." Moffitt smiled gently as he realized the reason for the hesitation.

"Yes." The prisoner answered simply.

"So tell us what happened." Troy urged.

"As I said, we were not expecting trouble."

"Around here you should always expect trouble." Troy responded.

"That is what my captain always says." The boy answered with a shy smile.

"Dietrich is no fool." Troy admitted. "He's been around long enough to know better."

"You know him?" The prisoner asked in surprise.

"We've met a few times." Troy grinned.

"You are the Rat Patrol; he has talked about you."

"Nothing good I'd wager."

"He admires you." The boy answered. "But he also despises you." He looked embarrassed at the revelation. To his surprise both sergeants laughed.

"Yeah, things get kind of muddled." Troy agreed. "We admire the captain too, but he's still the enemy."

"He says we must always be extremely aware of our surroundings because you could appear anywhere."

"Good to know." Troy grinned.

"The ambush?" Moffitt brought the conversation back to the immediate subject.

"Yes." The prisoner appeared flustered. "We were driving along and everything was quiet. I was in the second halftrack, that one." He pointed to one of the abandoned vehicles. "There was no warning. One minute it was quiet and the next moment there were bullets coming at us from every direction. My halftrack was hit and I was thrown out. I was hit in the arm and fell. I ran for the shelter of some rocks but I didn't make it. The bullet that hit my head knocked me out. When I woke up I could see the Arabs searching the others. I played dead when they got to me." The soldier lowered his head again. "I didn't know then that they were executing the wounded. I just wanted to get away."

"That's understandable." Moffitt encouraged.

"What happened to the other survivors?"

"When our captain saw that we were surrounded he agreed to surrender. He wanted to save his men!" The boy insisted.

"Your captain?" Troy demanded. "Was Dietrich in charge of this column?"

"Yes." The youth admitted reluctantly. The two sergeants exchanged looks that the prisoner didn't understand.

"Was he a witness to the executions of the wounded?"

"Yes."

"I don't imagine that Dietrich took that too well." Moffitt commented.

"He tried to stop it." The prisoner agreed. "He shouted at them and tried to intervene." The boy blushed. "He tried to help them while I hid." He looked angry as he continued. "They hit him as punishment. He was unconscious when they put him in the truck."

"How many prisoners did they take?"

"Eleven including my captain."

"How many Arabs did you see?" Troy asked. "Perhaps twenty. I had to be careful not to move and draw their attention."

"Dietrich has escaped worse odds than that." Troy observed.

"But they cannot escape!" The prisoner cried. "They were bound together by thick chains."

"Chains?" Troy's eyes blazed at the mention of chains. "Did they bring their own chains or did they find them in one of your vehicles?"

"They must have brought them." The boy replied. "I don't think we were carrying any chains."

"Slavers!" Troy growled in disgust.

"It would seem likely." Moffitt agreed.

"Slavers? Do you mean that they are going to sell the men that they took?" The youth looked shocked.

Troy didn't answer immediately. His mind went back to when he had been captured by slavers. He recalled the heavy chain that had bound him to Dietrich. The two of them had managed to escape but it had been a close thing. Troy hated the slavers with a passion.

"We must help them!"

Troy abandoned his memory for the present at the impassioned plea. He looked at Moffitt silently, asking for his support. Moffitt nodded wordlessly.

"Hitch! Tully! Dig one grave big enough to hold them all! We'll go with a mass grave; we don't have time to dig a separate grave for each one."

The prisoner stared at them with wide eyes.

"They all died together so I don't think they would mind being buried together." Troy explained. "If we're going to help Dietrich and the others we're going to have to move fast. Moffitt, you take watch, I'm going to help Hitch and Tully with the grave."

Moffitt nodded as Troy took a shovel from the jeep and went to help the privates.

"Are you truly going to help the captain?" The prisoner asked.

"We're going to try." Moffitt assured him. "We'll know more once we find them." He added 'if we find them' under his breath.

"What can I do to help?"

"Keep your eyes open." Moffitt replied. "We won't be much help to anyone if we fall victim to the slavers too."

The bodies were positioned side by side in the grave as soon as it was finished. They gave the prisoner a few minutes to say his good-byes. Troy said a short prayer after they finished shoveling the sand into the grave. The prisoner struggled to hold back the tears as the others turned away to avoid causing him any embarrassment. He rushed to catch up to them as they stowed the shovels in the rear of the jeeps. Standing next to the American vehicles he waited for instructions looking alone and forlorn. Troy pointed to Moffitt's jeep and the prisoner took the seat next to Tully. With a spurt of sand from under their wheels, the two jeeps followed the tracks left by the truck and horses.

"I'm starting to feel old."

Troy looked over in surprise at Hitch's comment. He smiled at his driver. "Did that little bit of exercise wear you out?"

"No." The blond shook his head. He chewed vigorously on his gum before he continued. "How old do you think he is?"

Troy didn't have to ask who 'he' was. He glanced over at the prisoner sitting next to Tully. "Seventeen, eighteen would be my guess."

"He seems younger." Hitch shook his head. "Doesn't it seem to you that the Germans are getting younger and younger?"

Since Troy still considered Hitch to be a kid in many ways despite his experience he found his driver's observations to be quite astute. "They've been fighting this war longer than we have." Troy pointed out. I guess sooner or later they were bound to run out of mature soldiers and have to start drafting the younger men. If this war keeps going they may get down to drafting kids and old men. Who knows, if it goes long enough they might even try drafting women."

"Women! No way Sarge! Can you see Dietrich letting women into his unit?"

"Dietrich may not have any say in who he gets." Troy argued. "The underground uses women fighters."

"They volunteer."

"Sure, but they fight. You've fought beside a few of them; are you saying that they can't fight as well as the men?"

Hitch took his eyes off of the trail to look at Troy. His confusion was clear on his face. "I wouldn't say that. The ones I know are every bit as good as the men."

"So what's your point?"

Hitch paused to think. "You're right. I guess I just don't like the idea of women being put in danger. I was always taught that they were the weaker sex and needed to be protected." Hitch snorted at his own revelation. "I think men may need to rethink that theory although I still think we should protect them."

Troy laughed. "We didn't all grow up privileged Hitch. I've known some really tough women that I definitely didn't want to mess with."

"Yeah, I see what you're saying. I still think he looks awful young though."

"Yeah." Troy sighed. "Yeah he does."

They were stopped to allow the engines to cool when Moffitt called Troy over for a conference. Tully and Hitch serviced the jeeps while keeping an eye on the prisoner.

The youth was sitting in the jeep when Tully and Hitch finished with the jeeps and reached for their canteens. Hitch took a drink and offered his water to the German soldier.

"What's your name?" Hitch asked as the youth took the offered drink.

"Karl. Karl Litzman."

"I'm Mark and this is Tully. How are you feeling? Do you need Doc to check on your wounds?"

"I am fine, thank you." Karl looked from one to the other as the two privates laughed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Hitch laughed. "It's just that that is what we always tell our sergeants when they ask us how we're feeling. It's kind of become our own little joke." He sobered as he looked toward the sergeants. "How old are you anyway?"

Karl hesitated, wondering what they were up to. "I am nineteen."

"Nineteen huh?" The two privates looked at each other and it was obvious that neither of them believed what they were hearing.

"Well I will be nineteen on my next birthday." Karl stammered.

"Okay." Hitch nodded. "And when is your birthday?"

"April twenty second."

"April." Hitch nudged Tully's arm. "This is June, that means he'll be nineteen in what, ten months?"

"Sounds about right." Tully agreed.

"I guess you could call that almost nineteen then." Hitch winked at Tully.

Karl watched the two younger rats, waiting to see what they would do.

"Well Karl, since you are going to be with us for a while, is it all right if we call you Karl?"

If his wide eyes were any indication, the question caught Karl by surprise. "I cannot tell you what to call me." He stammered.

"Sure you can." Tully assured him. "All you have to do is tell us what name you prefer. If you don't want us to call you by your first name all you have to do is say so."

"What else would you call me?"

Tully looked at Hitch and shrugged. "Private Litzman I guess."

"Really?"

"Really." Bothe privates answered together.

Karl smiled. "Then you may call me Karl. What should I call you?"

"Mark or Hitch." Hitch answered.

"Tully." Tully grinned.

"Are the jeeps ready?" All three of the privates jumped as Troy spoke from behind them. Hitch and Tully nodded as Troy and Moffitt walked up to the jeep. "Then let's move out." Troy ordered. "Those Arabs aren't going to hang onto those prisoners for long." Troy took his seat and motioned for Tully and Moffitt to lead out.

"What will they do with them?" Karl asked Tully as he struggled to keep his balance in the racing jeep.

Tully shrugged. "Troy thinks they are slavers."

"Then they will sell them?"

"Most likely." Tully answered. "But don't worry; Sarge is going to get them back."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would he save them?" Karl persisted. "Oh."

"Oh?"

"He wants them as prisoners so he can take them back to be interrogated." Karl explained as the idea hit him.

"No." Tully shook his head as he risk a glance at the soldier sitting beside him. Turning back to his driving he tried to explain. "Sarge is going to get them back because he doesn't like slavers."

Karl twisted to look at Troy in the other jeep. Not knowing the Allied soldiers, he couldn't tell if they were being serious on not. Seeing the sergeant's expression, he sincerely hoped it was the Arabs who were responsible for the anger he saw there. Karl leaned back in his seat and tried to hide his discomfort as the tiny vehicle seemed to hit every bump on the desert floor.

He must have dozed off because the slowing of the jeep woke him. He groaned as he straightened in the seat. "Where are we?"

"We're there." Tully answered, watching as both sergeants climbed a nearby hill.

"There?"

"Yeah." Tully nodded. He shifted his matchstick without taking his eyes off of the sergeants. "The Arabs are camped beside a waterhole just over that hill. At least we think they are, Sarge and Doc are checking it out right now."

"What can we do? We are outnumbered." Karl watched the sergeants too.

"You let us worry about that." Tully advised. "We're kind of used to being outnumbered."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Single Survivor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"The prisoners are still chained together." Troy explained as the five of them gathered around the diagram he was drawing in the sand. They were including Karl because he wanted to help. Troy drew a group of triangles in a row. "These are the tents. These two seem to be the quarters of the leaders. This one looks like they are using it to store their supplies. These look like the quarters of the rest of the band. They all appear to be relaxed; I guess they aren't expecting anyone to come after them." Troy looked up to see if there were any questions. None of the others spoke. "Okay," he said, going back to his briefing, "this is the only tent with guards. It has to be where they are keeping the prisoners. It looks like they have one guard in the front and one in the back." He looked at Karl. "Do you think that you could sneak in there and cut a hole in the back of the tent?"

Karl looked frightened but determined. He nodded once, dropping his head to hide his nervousness. "I think I can take the guard."

"We'll run through the camp with both jeeps, one after the other." Troy explained. "That should get the attention of the guard. You can sneak up on him while we keep his attention." Karl nodded. "We may not kill all of the Arabs but I think we can keep them too busy to notice the prisoners escaping." He went on to reassure Karl.

Karl nodded, looking relieved.

"Once you get them out you need to get them somewhere that you can defend." He drew a circle behind the triangles. "There is a deep wadi right here that will give you some shelter. You'll have to be careful because it is accessible from both ends and you don't want the Arabs to come in behind you."

"Defend it?" Karl asked in surprise. "How will we defend it? We have no weapons!"

"About that." Troy glanced at Moffitt. "We're going to leave you all four of our machine guns and all of the ammunition we have for them. I wish it could be more but that is all we have."

"You are giving us weapons?"

"We can only do so much to protect you." Troy admitted. "We'll do what we can with the 50's but there is always the chance that some of them will scatter and get past us. You'll need the weapons to defend yourself until we can get back to help you." Troy looked around looking for questions. None of the others spoke. "Okay, once we drive the Arabs off we'll use the stolen trucks to get everyone out of here. We should be able to outrun them if they come after us." He looked around again. "Any questions?" His men shook their heads. "Karl?"

"I understand Sergeant, I will do my best."

"Hitch, give him your spare knife. He can carry one of the machine guns and we'll stash the others and the spare ammo at the edge of the wadi. We'll give them time to finish their evening meal and get settled for the night before we go in."

"Where will I be waiting?" Karl asked.

"Moffitt will show you where to wait." Troy explained. "All you have to do is wait until we start our attack. Keep your eye on the guard. Move as soon as he is distracted. Who knows, he may even run around to the front and leave the back unguarded, that would be your chance."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Use the knife, but if you're not comfortable with that, wait until they start shooting before you fire. With luck the others won't notice the difference in guns in all of the confusion."

Karl nodded as he remembered all of the confusion when the Arabs had attacked them.

"All right then." Troy declared. "Moffitt, you and Tully get Karl in position and get the guns hidden. Hitch can stay with the jeeps and keep an eye on them while I watch the camp. Hitch and I will go in first and draw their fire. You and Tully wait until we get their attention and then you come through. If we can get them bunched up maybe we can get most of them before they have time to scatter."

"As soon as you start your run Tully and I will run off their horses." Moffitt added. "That can buy us some time if we don't get them all."

"Good idea." Troy agreed. "That way we won't have to worry about them trying to follow us." Troy used the toe of his boot to erase the diagram he had drawn. "Let's shake it."

Tully and Moffitt led Karl around the camp and left him at the mouth of the wadi. Before leaving they made sure he could find the extra machine guns in the dark. "Are you ready?" Moffitt asked.

"Yes." Karl answered. He took a deep breath and gripped his borrowed weapon tightly.

"You can do this." Moffitt encouraged.

"Yes." Karl agreed, sounding anything but certain. "I can do this for my captain."

"For your captain and for your friends." Moffitt encouraged.

"Yes." Karl answered. "For them too."

Moffitt nodded at him and jerked his head at Tully. "It won't be long now. We have to get back."

Karl nodded and watched them disappear into the growing gloom of the approaching night. When they were completely out of sight he turned his attention to the Arab camp. To pass the time he began to pick out the path he would take to reach the tent undetected. As he watched an Arab entered the tent with a cloth covered tray. He was relieved to know that the prisoners were at least being fed. He had feared that they would be starved to keep them weak and cooperative. The thought angered him and he had to remind himself why he was there and what was about to happen. He searched the area around the camp for any sign of the two American jeeps. Not only couldn't he spot the jeeps, but he couldn't see any sign of the Allied soldiers either.

Wondering briefly if they had abandoned him and headed for their own lines he considered returning to the wadi and rethinking the whole rescue. He still wasn't convinced that they were really planning to rescue his captain and the others. The privates had seemed friendly enough when they introduced themselves. The sergeants had seemed sincere when they had laid out their plans. It was the presence of the four machine guns that tipped the scales in their favor. He couldn't think of why they would leave their weapons behind if they were going to leave him alone in the desert. He gave up looking for them and concentrated on watching the Arab guard.

Tully and Moffitt made their way back to the jeeps to wait with Hitch. "Everything all right Doc?" Tully asked along the way.

"Fine Tully."

Tully chewed thoughtfully on his matchstick. "Karl will do okay."

Caught staring at the spot where they had left the young German Moffitt smiled.

"I know Tully. He seemed nervous at first but he settled down as soon as he got into position."

"He'll do it for Captain Dietrich and for all those wounded that were killed back there." Tully shook his head at the memory. "Do me a favor down there Doc?"

Moffitt looked at his driver with the question unspoken between them.

"Don't miss Doc. Those guys murdered wounded men. I don't have any sympathy for any of them."

"I'll do my best Tully. We really don't want to leave any of them behind to come after us when we least expect it. It would be best to end it right here right now." Moffitt nodded toward the camp. "You said that you understand feuds; those guys down there really know how to hold a grudge."

"Let them come." Tully growled. "We're not wounded and helpless like those guys they murdered."

"Those guys weren't wounded and helpless when the fight started Tully, they got that way as a result of the fight. Most of these Arabs have been fighting since they were children. These tribes are always warring with one another."

Tully nodded, understanding what Moffitt was trying to tell him. "Maybe there's a good reason why nobody likes these particular guys Doc."

Moffitt smiled. "Maybe Tully." He watched the Arabs begin to break into groups and head for their tents. The guard in front of the prisoner's tent was changed and the new guard sat on the ground by the door. It wasn't long before his head started to bob on his shoulders. The guard behind the tent moved out of sight and Moffitt couldn't see him at all.

"They look like they're heading for bed." Tully drawled.

Moffitt nodded. "It won't be long now. We'd better get back to the jeep and be ready."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Single Survivor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

"They're splitting up and heading for their tents."

Hitch nodded as Troy called down the latest update. He popped another bubble and reached for his goggles. It sounded as though they would be going soon and he wanted to be sure that his lenses were clean. There was nothing he could do about the scratches but he wanted to be sure he had removed as much of the fine grit as possible. In the dark he needed every advantage he could get. He pictured the diagram that Troy had drawn earlier and worried that they wouldn't be able to pick out the targets in the dark with any certainty. The prisoners would be in the middle of the action and in the line of fire.

He knew that the German uniforms blended well with the desert sand and he hoped that it would make the difference. The Arabs would be easier to spot with their brightly colored robes. That and the muzzle flashes from their weapons would be the best way to distinguish friend from foe. Hitch hoped that Karl kept his head and used his machine gun sparingly.

If the German prisoners could keep the chain connecting them from rattling in the dark they had a good chance of slipping away in the dark amid the confusion. Hitch finished cleaning his goggles and waited.

Hitch looked up as Troy sprang into motion. The blond had the motor running and the jeep moving before the sergeant reached the bottom of the hill. Troy grabbed a hand-hold on the jeep and slid into the seat. Without missing a beat he was over the back of the seat and gripping the 50 caliber machine gun.

The engine hummed as the jeep smoothly picked up speed. Hitch dropped his goggles over his eyes as he drove.

Troy slipped his up too, protecting his eyes from the churning sand and the flying shell casings. Glancing down he noted that Hitch had made sure that the ammo box was full. He pulled the slide and cleared the gun's chamber as the jeep charged the quiet Arab camp.

The guard in front of the prisoner's tent was the first to notice the fast approaching jeep. He yelled a warning as he brought his captured German weapon to his shoulder. Troy fired into the ground in front of him not wanting to overshoot and accidently hit any of the prisoners in the tent behind him. The Arab jumped in surprise and fell backward. He rolled to his feet as his companions began to rush from their tents.

Troy cut down the first group before they even knew what was happening. Those behind them dropped to the ground as the fast moving jeep roared past. The sergeant kept his 50 aimed forward targeting the tents still in front of them. More Arabs fell as they tried to face the charging jeep.

Hitch made one pass, giving Troy the opportunity to target the Arabs as they poured from the tents. Moffitt and Tully followed closely behind hitting them again before they could organize.

Moffitt's gun rattled a deadly chorus to Troy's earlier tune. The Arabs, watching Troy's retreat, at first failed to realize that Moffitt and Tully were behind them. By the time the alarm was raised Moffitt and Tully had done quite a bit of damage too.

As the beleaguered Arabs turned their attention to the new threat Hitch swung his jeep around for another pass. The confused Arabs didn't know which way to turn. Both jeeps barreled down on them with the heavy machine guns spitting rounds at them at an incredible rate. When the guns fell silent both jeeps stopped out of range to allow the dust to settle.

Moffitt and Tully stood guard as Troy and Hitch slowly approached the now silent camp to check for survivors.

"All clear." Troy called as they rounded up the wounded Arabs who had not managed to escape. "Hitch, go get Karl and the other survivors. I'll look for the keys to get those chains off."

"Right Sarge." The blond slid form the jeep and ran toward the wadi where Karl and the others were waiting.

"We'd best be on our way as soon as possible." Moffitt suggested. "Some of those Arabs got away."

"All right." Troy agreed. "We'll collect our weapons and turn them loose. They can salvage the weapons and food from the camp to get them back to their base. The trucks will carry them all."

"What about the wounded Arabs?" Tully asked.

"Dietrich can deal with them." Troy decided.

"Want me to check out the trucks to make sure they weren't damaged by bullets?"

"Good idea Tully."

Tully nodded and ambled off to inspect the two German trucks. Troy and Moffitt found the keys to the chains and began to salvage the supplies the Germans would need to make it back to their camp. They were still waiting for Hitch to return with the Germans when Tully returned.

"All set Sarge." Tully announced. "The gas tanks are full and I didn't find any damage. They'll run okay."

Troy grinned. "Just okay?"

Tully returned the grin. "Yeah, just okay. They aren't going to run as smooth as our jeeps, but then, they never do. They'll get Dietrich and his men back to their base though."

Troy nodded and glanced toward the wadi where Hitch had gone to get the Germans. "What's taking Hitch so long?"

"Want me to go check?"

"No Tully." Troy sighed. "Maybe the Germans are having trouble walking with those heavy chains. Give him a few more minutes."

Sure enough, a few minutes later Dietrich and his men walked into the camp. "Sergeant Troy."

"Good evening Captain." Troy glanced along the line of chained prisoners. "It looks as if you all made it out okay."

"Thanks to you Sergeant."

Troy shook his head. "Your private had a lot to do with it Captain. If it hadn't been for him we never would have known what happened back there."

"He said it was all your idea to rescue us." Dietrich noted. "So what now Sergeant?"

"Now we take our weapons back and go home." Troy shrugged.

"And if we decide we don't want to go with you?" Dietrich turned the weapon he held on Troy.

"You aren't invited Captain."

"Oh?" Dietrich raised his eyebrows at the unexpected answer.

"Look Dietrich, you know how I feel about any human being selling another human into slavery. You know why too." Troy looked embarrassed. "When Karl told us what happened I couldn't just walk away. Here." He handed Dietrich the keys he had taken from one of the bodies. "Free your men and have them salvage what they can from the camp. We found food, water, weapons and some other supplies you can use. Tully checked the trucks and he said both of them are in working order. They'll get you back to your base. Moffitt said the sooner you get away from here the better. Some of the survivors got away."

Dietrich took the keys and unlocked the chain from his wrist. He handed the key to the next man who freed all of the others. "Sergeant, are you serious about letting us go?"

"Yeah Captain, we are. You should find everything here you need to get back to your base. There are plenty of weapons here to defend yourself if you run into trouble although I would suggest you run rather than fight."

"And why is that Sergeant?" Dietrich cocked his head to watch Troy.

Troy chuckled. "Those trucks aren't very fast and they aren't armored. If those Arabs return with friends you could find yourself outnumbered. If I were you I would set my sights for home and not stop until I got there. Oh, by the way, you can keep the prisoners." Troy indicated the wounded Arabs sitting on the ground nearby.

While Troy and Dietrich talked the German soldiers had all picked up weapons from the pile Troy and Moffitt had collected. They lined up behind Dietrich and watched the two men talk.

Troy shifted uneasily at the looks on their faces. "Do we have a problem here Captain?"

The German officer sighed. "Yes Sergeant, I'm afraid we do." He called to Karl. "Private Litzman!"

Karl walked out of the mouth of the wadi, only he was not alone. More German soldiers rushed from the darkness behind him and aimed their weapons at the three men of the Rat Patrol.

"I'm sorry Sergeant." Dietrich frowned. "I have no say in this."

A German major walked out of the shadows and grinned at Troy. "You and your men will surrender all of your weapons Sergeant."

Troy looked around at the circle of Germans and nodded at his men. "Do it." Both sergeants dropped their side arms and Tully let his knife fall to the ground. At a gesture from the major four men rushed forward to tie the hands of the prisoners. Troy glared at Dietrich. "Where's Hitch?"

The Captain looked at the ground and again looked embarrassed. "Again, I'm sorry Sergeant, he tried to warn you."

Troy struggled with the hands that held his arms. "Where is he? What did you do Dietrich?"

The Captain looked up in surprise at the fury in the sergeant's tone. Realizing what Troy was thinking, he quickly shook his head. "He was knocked unconscious. I assure you he is alive."

"He'd better be!" Troy snarled. "Where is he?"

"I assure you Sergeant, he was not seriously hurt."

"It doesn't matter Captain." The Major interrupted. "The sergeant can do nothing about it anyway. They are all prisoners and he no longer has any say in how his men are treated."

Troy didn't understand what the major was saying but he glared at him anyway. Before Dietrich could translate what had been said two soldiers dragged an unconscious Hitch into the camp. They dropped him at Troy's feet and stepped back.

"We will stay here for the night." The Major explained to Dietrich. "Drag the bodies out into the desert and let the scavengers dispose of them." The Major smiled at Dietrich's incredulous expression. "You can bury them if you prefer Captain but my men will not help. It's lucky for you that we heard the gunfire and stopped to investigate. You could be on your way to a POW camp right now. If not for those shots we would never have found you."

"Sergeant Troy and his men were going to release us." Dietrich explained curtly.

"Nonsense." The Major snorted. "No matter what they told you, they would have taken you back to a POW camp."

"What will become of them?"

"They are commandos Captain. What do you think will happen to them?" The Major laughed at Dietrich. "Take your men and go back to your base Captain. I will deal with these men in accordance to the orders from Berlin."

"But Major…"

"Enough Captain! See to your men! My men will guard the prisoners. In the morning you will return to your base and I will return to mine." The major dismissed the Captain and stomped off to deal with the detainment of the prisoners.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Single Survivor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

"They saved us Captain!" Karl faced Dietrich with a stricken look on his face. Normally he would never have even considered speaking to his captain in such a way, but he was distraught!

"I am aware of that Private." Dietrich answered, struggling to hide his own emotions.

Karl deflated at the officer's answer. "They saved my life."

"I am also aware of that." The officer admitted stiffly.

"Is there nothing we can do?"

"I am afraid not Private. The Major outranks us both. He has claimed the prisoners and I have no say in the matter at all. They are the enemy Private, going on record in their defense would not go well for either of us."

"I understand Captain." Karl nodded sadly. "I just wish there was something we could do."

"Getting ourselves in trouble will not help them Private. If I thought it would I would risk it."

"Yes sir." Karl nodded again. "I guess I should get some sleep."

"Private."

Karl turned to face the officer.

"Don't give up hope. We mustn't forget who we are dealing with here."

"Sir?"

"The Rat Patrol has been captured before Private. I wouldn't give up hope just yet. They do have an uncanny knack for escaping. Perhaps this will be one of those times." The Captain explained gently.

"Of course Sir. Goodnight Captain."

Dietrich watched as the young private walked across the camp to where the rest of his men had made their beds. The Major had claimed all of the tents for his own men but Dietrich didn't mind. After their ordeal he preferred to sleep in the open. Deciding that he needed to clear his mind, he decided to take a walk. He too worried about what would become of the Rat Patrol. Even though they were the enemy they had risked their lives to save him and his men. He felt responsible for their capture yet there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

As he walked past the tents he passed the stakes where Troy and his men were tied. The wounded Arabs were being held further away from the tents as the Major had declared that they smelled too bad to keep any closer. None of the prisoners looked up as he passed. He briefly considered trying to reason with the Major again but knew it would do no good.

"Do you need something Captain?" The Major ducked through the door to his tent to confront the captain.

"No sir." Dietrich shook his head. "I was just clearing my head before I turned in for the night."

"Then perhaps you should rejoin your men Captain." The Major suggested dryly.

"Yes sir." The captain could feel the eyes of the prisoner's on his back as he walked away.

The next morning the camp bustled with activity. Captain Dietrich and his men collected the supplies they needed and loaded the two trucks. Dietrich considered trying to talk to Troy but there was nothing he could say that would change anything. Giving the order to move out, the two trucks departed for Dietrich's base.

Sam Troy watched as Dietrich and his men loaded the trucks and left the camp. He wanted to be mad at the captain but he knew that the officer had had no choice. The arrival of the Major and his men had been a surprise to all of them. Faced with the same circumstances Troy knew he would have had to make the same decision that Dietrich had made.

"Was it worth it?" Moffitt asked softly as the trucks drove away.

Troy twisted to try to face the British sergeant. "Yeah, I think so."

Moffitt nodded, not surprised at the answer. The sergeant shifted his position, trying to get comfortable in the ropes.

"Can you move?" Troy asked softly when he saw Moffitt pulling on the ropes.

"No, the knots are too tight."

The guard took a step toward them and made a threatening gesture with his rifle.

"I think he wants us to stay quiet." Moffitt translated the gesture for the others.

"We'll wait for our chance." Troy told his men.

Tully and Hitch nodded. Hitch didn't look any the worse for the blow to the head the night before. Both privates looked ready to take on the Germans the first chance they got. Troy leaned his head back against the wooden post and watched the Germans through half closed eyes.

The Major didn't seem to be in any hurry to return to his base. He and his men enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before loading their vehicles. Before loading his men he had the Arab prisoners moved out into the desert. The four Allied prisoners watched as the Arabs were crowded into a group.

"Sarge." Hitch whispered as they watched the Germans and the Arab prisoners.

"Yeah?" Troy whispered back.

"I think we're being watched."

"We're prisoners Hitch; of course we're being watched!"

"No, he's right Sarge." Tully added. "There is someone watching us from the hill above the wadi."

"Some of Dietrich's men?"

"Don't think so Sarge."

"I think they're Arabs." Hitch whispered.

"Arabs?" Moffitt's voice took on an unnatural edge. "Are you sure?"

"Not entirely." Hitch answered. "Who do you think they are?"

"I told you last night that we should leave here as soon as possible." The British sergeant reminded them, ignoring Hitch's question.

"We didn't exactly have a lot of choice in the matter." Tully drawled in reply.

"No we didn't." Moffitt admitted. "But it was still good advice."

"Be ready." Troy warned. "This may be the chance we are looking for."

All four of them watched the hills around the camp. It wasn't long before they could say for sure that the watchers were indeed Arab. They watched as they crawled closer to the camp.

"We can't expect any mercy from them Troy." Moffitt warned.

Troy acknowledged the warning with a nod.

"Sarge."

"What now Hitch?"

"I've been working on the knots on Tully's hands." Hitch grunted as he wiggled closer to Tully. "I think I almost have it."

"They are going to attack any minute now." Moffitt warned.

"I'm hurrying." Hitch muttered.

Tully wiggled his hands to give Hitch better access. He felt one of the ropes loosen and he willed Hitch to hurry. The rope loosened even more and he twisted his hands. There was a moment when the ropes felt tighter and then the knot gave way.

"I'm free." Tully grunted. "I'll get Hitch's hands first."

"We may be out of time." Moffitt whispered.

Tully looked up to see the Arabs running toward the camp. The sound of gunfire drew his attention to the wounded Arab prisoners and the Germans. The Germans were executing the Arab prisoners. The Arabs ran past the four Allies in an attempt to save their friends.

Tully freed Hitch's hands and then went to work on his own ankles. By the time he was free Hitch had his own ankles free and could help untie the sergeants. Pulling frantically at the knots the two privates tried to keep one eye on the Arabs. As soon as Moffitt's hands were free Tully ducked low and ran for the jeeps. Luckily for them the Major had claimed the jeeps as spoils of war and left them nearby. Without weapons Tully planned on using the 50's to defend his friends until they could join him.

An Arab spotted Tully as he sprinted the last twenty yards. Bullets began to hit the ground around his feet. Tully dug his toes in and ran faster.

The Arab who had spotted him drew attention to himself by shooting at the private. The German soldiers took aim at him in return, thinking he was shooting at them. Bullets flew all around him but he ignored them in favor of shooting at Tully.

A bullet hit the jeep fender just as Tully reached it. He threw a hand out for balance as he stepped onto the seat and propelled himself into the rear of the jeep. Another bullet plucked at his sleeve as he primed the 50. Swinging the muzzle around, he paused to locate the Arab. Even as Tully spotted him the Arab went down under a volley of German lead. With his presence ignored once again, Tully searched the camp for his friends.

Troy hugged the tents as he led Moffitt and Hitchcock around the worst of the fighting. The Arabs had moved into the camp and were fighting the Germans in hand to hand combat. The sergeant paused and then turned to go around two Germans grappling with a wiry Arab fighter. One of the Germans fell but the second one hit the Arab over the head with his rifle. Troy got past but the German noticed Moffitt when he looked up from the Arab. He quickly aimed his rifle at the British sergeant's back. Hitch bent down and retrieved a knife from the body of the fallen Arab. Stepping up behind the German he plunged the blade into his back. The German gasped and arched his back in agony. Hitch pushed him aside and picked up his rifle. He caught up to the sergeants and they ran for the jeeps.

Tully saw them coming and swung the 50 around to give them cover. It didn't matter to Tully if they were Arab or German, if they looked in the direction of his friend's he killed them.

Hitch slid into his seat and hit the starter. He felt the jeep rock as Troy climbed behind the 50 and braced himself. The 50 started to rain spent shells around him as Troy opened fire. Hitch glanced over to see Tully slide behind the wheel. Moffitt was already making good use of the 50.

"Clear the camp." Troy yelled.

Hitch spun the wheel and took them behind the tents before heading for the open desert. Both Arabs and Germans saw them leave and both tried to stop them. Hitch and Tully soon had the jeeps beyond the range of the rifles carried by either side. Thankfully none of the Major's men had reached their halftracks and the heavier guns they carried.

Both drivers continued to put distance between themselves and the camp. Troy and Moffitt remained alert behind the heavy machine guns. The miles flew by in tense anticipation. As usual they kept their eyes open for German troops but this time they were more concerned about the arrival of more Arabs.

Finally Moffitt began to relax. When Troy noticed the other sergeant decreasing his vigilance he called a halt. "Do you think we lost them?"

"They were never following us." Moffitt answered. "Their horses couldn't hope to keep up with our jeeps and they know it."

"You know what I mean." Troy growled. "Do you think we'll run into any more of their friends?"

Moffitt gave Troy a tired smile. "I doubt if they had that many friends to begin with, and they lost a lot of them back there." He noted Troy's frown and smiled again. "Yes. I think we lost them."

"One of them must have gotten away when we rescued Dietrich." Hitch suggested.

"Several of them got away." Moffitt replied. "I recognized two of them when they attacked the Major's camp."

"That would explain the arrival of their friends." Tully stated as he studied the bullet hole in the sleeve of his shirt.

"I wonder…." Moffitt paused as he noticed the hoe in Tully's sleeve. "Are you all right Tully? Are you hit?" He jumped to the ground and hurried to Tully's side.

"I'm okay Doc; the bullet just put a hole in my shirt."

Moffitt gripped his arm to see for himself. "That was close Tully."

"Maybe too close for me but not close enough for the Germans." Tully grinned. "Don't change the subject Doc; how do you explain it?"

"Perhaps the horses we scared off returned to their regular camp and alerted their friends. If you remember we didn't leave any horses for them to use to go for help."

"Does it matter how they found out?" Troy asked.

"Actually it does." Moffitt answered seriously. "If they were alerted by some of those that escaped they would know that we were the ones who attacked their camp and freed their prisoners. Judging by the way they attacked the Germans I suspect they are blaming the Germans."

"Works for me." Hitch grinned.

"Me too." Tully added.

"If they take any prisoners the Germans might set them straight." Moffitt warned.

Troy shook his head. "I doubt that they'd believe the Germans, especially after they executed those wounded Arabs. They're going to think that the Germans are just trying to shift the blame."

"There is that too." Moffitt smiled tiredly. He yawned widely and smiled again. "Is there any chance we could find someplace to get some sleep?"

"When we're closer to our lines we'll find some shelter and get some rest." Troy agreed. "Right now I just want to get out of this area and let the Arabs and the Germans fight it out."

Moffitt yawned again and nodded.

Troy turned to his drivers and smiled. "Take us home."


	6. Chapter 6

**The Single Survivor Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"We had already completed our mission when we were captured Captain." Troy explained. "The Major was getting ready to take us back to his base when the Arabs attacked. We were able to escape while the two sides were fighting. We only stopped long enough to get some rest before we came back here."

"Which side won the battle?" Captain Boggs asked.

Troy shrugged. "We can't say for sure. The Arabs were outnumbered and they had lost the element of surprise by the time we got free. If I had to guess I would put my money on the Germans sir."

Captain Boggs nodded at the answer. "Let's hope that they keep each other distracted for a while. That would keep both of them out of our way for a time." He turned to address Moffitt. "Have your contacts given you any information on the situation? Is there any indication that the Arabs are going to be blaming you?"

"None that I have spoken with have heard any rumors to that effect. We will be extra careful until we know for sure." The sergeant promised.

"All right, that will be all for now. Dismissed."

The four men saluted and left the office.

"You didn't mention Dietrich." Moffitt smiled as he teased Troy.

"No, I didn't." Troy confirmed. "Dietrich wasn't around for the final battle so there was no need to mention him."

Tully and Hitch exchanged looks. "He was there when we were taken prisoner." Hitch noted.

"I know." Troy sighed. "But think about it. The arrival of the Major and his men surprised him as much as it did us."

"There really was nothing he could have done to help us without risking his own life and career. Not only his life, but the lives of his family too." Moffitt agreed. "I'm not happy about it either but I can understand it."

"What about Karl?" Tully asked. "I would have thought he would have tried to help us."

"The Major didn't want anyone near us." Moffitt explained. "He gave orders to keep everyone away, including Dietrich. Karl couldn't have gotten close even if he had tried."

"I think Karl wanted to help." Hitch caught everyone's attention. "I saw him talking to Dietrich. He seemed upset. He kept looking our way while Dietrich kept shaking his head. I don't think Dietrich would let him help us."

"Dietrich was being a good officer." Troy argued. "He was taking care of Karl. Karl is still young enough to make rash decisions. If the Major had caught him trying to help us I think he would have had him shot. The Major strikes me as the kind of guy who sees us as the enemy, no more, no less. He would not understand anyone seeing us any other way."

"I doubt that he even considers us as human beings." Moffitt agreed. "He wouldn't understand how Karl might feel indebted to us." The sergeant looked at Tully and Hitch. "We can never completely forget that we are on opposite sides of this war. We aren't friends."

"It kind of felt like he was the younger brother I never had." Hitch admitted. "I know, I know, it's dumb."

"No, not dumb." Troy hesitated, looking at Moffitt. "We all feel that way once in a while. I guess its human nature."

"But he's German." Hitch insisted.

"It doesn't matter." Moffitt answered. "Your head may have seen a German but your heart saw someone in need. You're a good person Hitch. Some people, the Major for instance, would have ignored his heart and listened to his head. This world needs more people who follow their hearts."

"Besides," Troy added, "it all worked out in the end."

"Let's go get something to eat.' Tully suggested. "I'm hungry for something that I don't have to cook."

Troy and Moffitt shook their heads and laughed. "Lead on."

 **At the German base:**

Private Karl Litzman answered the summons to his commander's office. Upon his arrival he was immediately ushered into the Captain's presence. He saluted smartly and stood stiffly even after the captain had returned his salute.

"At ease Private."

Karl relaxed slightly but not completely.

"You are still angry." Dietrich noted with a hint of amusement.

"I still think we should have helped them." Karl answered sullenly.

"But you do understand why it was not possible?" The captain asked gently.

"Yes Sir." Karl admitted reluctantly.

"And you do remember me telling you not to give up hope?"

"Yes Captain." Karl nodded.

Dietrich tapped a paper on top of his desk. "I have just received some very interesting news."

Karl raised his head with new interest.

"It seems that those Arabs had friends nearby. Somehow they learned of the battle to rescue us. Apparently they decided to seek revenge for the death of their friends."

"They attacked the Major and his men?"

"Yes." Dietrich nodded. "They raided the camp before the Major could leave for his base."

Karl waited, fearful of what he might hear.

The captain picked up the report from his desk. "It seems that the Major suffered heavy casualties before he was able to drive off the attackers." Dietrich kept a straight face as he continued. "Unfortunately, during the attack the Allied prisoners were able to escape the Major's custody."

"They escaped?"

"I warned you Private, the Rat Patrol has an impressive record of escaping from custody."

"They were not injured?"

"Not according to the report. Several of the Major's men reported seeing them reach their jeeps and drive away. Once again they have managed to evade our bullets as well as those of the Arabs."

Karl smiled widely.

"Private, need I remind you that they are still the enemy?" Dietrich asked sternly. "It is highly inappropriate for a German soldier to express happiness at hearing that our enemy has escaped." The captain raised an eyebrow as he scolded the younger man.

Karl sobered immediately.

"Much better." Dietrich praised. "Now… do you think that you can return to your duties without all of this moping?"

"Yes sir." Karl nodded.

"Good." Dietrich nodded soberly. "Then you are dismissed Private."

"Thank you Captain." Karl saluted smartly and left the office feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Dietrich watched him go before closing the door behind him. Turning back to the report on his desk he smiled as he read it again.


End file.
